Paul March appeals over Keighley Cougars stadium ban

Cougars player-coach Paul March will appeal against his two-month stadium ban at the Rugby Football League’s headquarters in Leeds tomorrow evening.

An RFL operational rule tribunal last week imposed the suspension on the former Wakefield and Huddersfield player for verbally abusing match officials.

Under the terms of the ban, March is prohibited from entering any stadium in which the Cougars are playing until July 8, which falls after their Tetley’s Challenge Cup quarter-final at Widnes on Thursday, June 5.

The sanction was handed down after March was found guilty of improper conduct and breaching the game’s respect policy following comments made to the match referee at the end of the Championship defeat by Leigh on March 9.

The offence took place while March was serving a four-match suspension as a player for questioning the integrity of a match official following a league fixture against Doncaster in February.

But March pleaded not guilty because he maintains his innocence, Simon Harrison, a sponsor of Cougars and life-long supporter, saying it was he who abused the officials at Leigh and that it was a case of mistaken identity.